Concrete pile



PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

G. H. POOR.

v CONCRETE PILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. ze, 1904A No MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OEEicE.

GEORGE H. POOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR IO SAMUEL VVORTHINGTON MOMUNN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONCRETE PILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,475, dated September 20, 1904. Application filed January 28, 1904:. Serial No. 190,982. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern:

yBe it known that I, GEORGE H. POOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Concrete Piles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciication.

This invention relates to an improved construction in concrete piling for use in making retainingwalls, foundations, and the like, the invention relating more particularly to piling of that class which is sunk into the earth by the ejection of jets or streams of water from the lower ends of said piles, by which the earth around the lower ends of the piles is loosened or displaced and the same allowed to sink.

A pile embodying my invention consists of a mass or body of concrete, the upper part of which is of elongated or slab form and constitutes the main or body portion of the pile and the lower part of which consists of a plurality of parallel prongs or projections which extend downwardly from the lower edge of the body and each of which is provided with a separate water-supply pipe terminating at the lower end of the projection in which it is located and from which water may be ejected at the lower end of each projection, so as to permit the entire pile to sink into the earth.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section, of two adjacent piles embodying my invention. Eig. 2 is a plan section thereof, taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an edge elevation of one of the piles. Fig. 4c is an enlarged detail section of the lower end of one of the prongs or projections on the pile.

As shown in the said drawings, Aindicates the body of a pile embodying my invention,

and a a a a four prongs or downwardly-projecting extensions thereof, said body and its prongs being made of an lntegral mass of concrete.- Said prongs or projections a a a a are shown as tapered from their upper toward their lower ends and as having their upper ends where they join the body part of the pile as large 'as the thickness of said body part.

Said prongs or projections are, moreover, shown as arranged closely adjacent to each other at their upper ends; but this particular arrangement-is immaterial, as they may be spaced at a greater or less distance apart, as may be found desirable or preferable in any particular instance. The tapered form of the said prongs or projections constitutes an important feature of my invention and affords advantages in the use of the pile, which will be hereinafter pointed out.

B B indicate water-pipes which are embedded in and extend longitudinally through the prongs or extensions@ a. Each of said prongs or extensions will be provided with one of said water-pipes, so that in a pile like that shown having four of said prongs or extensions four water-pipes will be used. The water-pipes are embedded in the cement during the process of molding the pile and serve to give strength to the said prongs additional to that afforded by the concrete itself. This is a matter of considerable importance,because for the best results the prongs are made of considerable length in proportion to their crosssectional' area and are considerably tapered, so'that their extreme ends or points would have little strength in the absence of the support afforded by the said pipes.

The body part A is preferably made somewhat wider than the combined widths of the four prongs a a a a or, in other words, is arranged to extend laterally beyond the outermost of the said prongs, so as to form shoulders, as indicated at a. These shoulders are preferably provided with downwardly-converging side faces, giving an annular form to the said shoulders, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The making of the body part of the pile wider than the combined widths of the upper ends of the prongs is for the purpose of facilitating the joining of the side margins of the body portions of two adjacent piles and to enable such body portions to better form a retainingwall. It is not, however, necessary that the body of the piles project beyond the prongs or projections nearest said side edges, and the prongs may be spaced so wide apart or such number of them may be used as to bringI the exterior prongs at the side edges of the body part, it being necessary only that the said prongs or projections should be suiiicient in number and so closely spaced on the loweredge margin of the body of the pile as to enable the pile as a whole to be sunk into the earth by water ejected from the lower ends of the several prongs or projections. The

prongs or projections are shown in the drawings as being made of rectangular form in cross-section, this form thereof being preferred, because it facilitates the molding of the pile in a horizontal open-topped form or mold. Said prongs may, however, be made of round or other form in cross-section.

The body part A of the pile may be either solid or hollow. As a preferable construction and as herein shown, it is provided with two recesses a2, which serve to lessen the weight of the pile and to thereby facilitate the handling thereof during the driving or sinking operation. After the pile has been set such recesses may be filled with earth or cement, as indicated at Af in the drawings. The side portions of the body part of the piles may,

moreover, be strengthened by pieces C C of woven wire or interlaced metal rods inserted therein in molding, and like pieces C/ Cof woven wire may be inserted in the prongs or projections a a. Such pieces C C' when used will preferably extend from the projections upwardly into the body part of the pile, so as to strengthen the connections between these parts.

The pipes B B are shown as connected at their upper ends with supply-pipes B B by means of detachable joints b Said supplypipes are shown as extended downwardly through the recesses in the pile, and the joints I) b as located near the bottoms of the recesses a a. Said joints enable the supply-pipes B' B to be disconnected from the lower pipes B B, which are embedded in the prongs after the piles have been set, thereby enabling the pipes B B to be made short and the cost of longer pipes to be saved, the supply-pipes B B being of course used continuously for any number of piles. rlhe drawings show separate nozzles B2 as applied to the lower ends of the pipes B, these nozzles being tapered downwardly and affording exits for water smaller than the bore of the pipes to give greater force to the jets of water that are ejected from the lower ends of the prongs.

Several of the wide and thin piles made as described may be set up edge to edge and will by themselves form a complete retaining-wall, or they may form the found ation for a retaining-wall built above them, or they may constitute the foundation of the wall of a building or other structure. Preferably the body portions of the piles will be provided at their side edges with interlocking,parts-such, for instance, as the tongues a3 and grooves shown in Fig. 2.

The provision of the downwardly-extending prongs or projections having the general form of separate piles on the lower margins of the body parts A of the pile have the advantage of greatly increasing the load-sustaining ca` pacity of the pile or its capacity to withstand weight or downward stress applied to its upper edge. Such augmented capacity to resist downward pressure is due to the extended fricv tional surface for contact with the surrounding soil or earth afforded by the said prongs or projections. Moreover, as the soil immediately surrounding the lower endv or point of each projection only is moved or shifted by the action of the current of water ejected from` the lower ends of the prongs or projections the soil between the prongs or projections remains largely undisturbed in the sinking operation, and thus tends to hold the pile firmly in place and prevent either lateral movement thereof or further sinking under the load to which the pile as a whole is subjected.

A special advantage is obtained by making the prongs or extensions fr a of downwardlytapered form, not only because l of the increased surface area thus afforded for frictional contact with the earth, but because of the wedging action of said tapered projections tending to resist further downwardl movement of the piles in the surrounding earth after they have been sunk by the use of the water-jets, it being obvious that after the pile has been sunk and the soil has settled around the prongs the latter when tapered cannot sink further except by displacinglaterally the soil immediately surrounding them, which in most circumstances is rendered Aimpossible by reason of the compactness or resistance to compression of the soil.

I claim as my invention* 1. A concrete pile consisting of a body portion of laterally-elongated or slab form having a plurality of extensions or prongs projecting downwardly from its lower edge.

2. A concrete pile consisting of a body portion of laterally-elongated or slab form having a plurality of downwardly-tapered extensions or prongs on its lower edge.

3. A concrete pile consisting of a body portion of laterally-elongated or slab form having a plurality of extensions or prongs projecting from its lower edge, and water-pipes extending through said prongs.

4. A concrete pile consisting of a body portion of laterally-elongated or slab form,having a plurality of extensions or prongs projecting from its lower edge, said body portions of the pile being hollow.

5. A concrete pile consisting of a body portion of laterally-elongated or slab form having a plurality of extensions or prongs projecting IOC IIO

IZO

from its lower edge, said body portion being supply-pipes that extend downwardly within provided with a recess which opens through the body part of the pile.

' the upper edge of the pile, and which may be In testimony that I claim the foregoing as lled after the pile is set. my invention I affix my signature, in presence 5 6. Aeonerete pile consisting ofa body porot' two witnesses, this 16th day of January, I5

tion of laterally-elongated or slab formhaving A. D. 1904.

a plurality of extensions or prongs on its lower GEORGE POOR. edge, and water-pipes which are embedded Y 4 Witnesses: permanently in the said extensions or prongs C. CLARENCE POOLE,

IO and which are adapted for connection with GERTRUDE BRYCE. 

